As a CIO, you are aware of the benefits of investing in enterprise solutions like ERP and CRM. For instance, 95% of enterprises adopting ERP solutions have enjoyed benefits like centralized data access, improved collaboration, and faster processes.

On the flip side, it’s equally true that around 55-75% of completed ERP projects fail to meet their business objectives. Similarly, up to 70% of CRM projects fail to deliver business value. Among other reasons, one of the primary reasons for this failure rate is when CIOs are unable to convince their employees (or users) to use the enterprise solution. 

According to Gitnux, only 27% of employees are using the implemented ERP system. Similarly, less than 40% of CRM customers have an adoption rate of over 90% among their end users.

This blog looks at the top 6 reasons why employees don’t (or won’t) use enterprise solutions that CIOs buy for them.

  • Implementation takes too much time.

On average, most ERP projects consume 30% more time to complete than expected. Nearly 54% of companies experience operational disruption once they go live with the ERP system. Most employees “fear” the high duration and costs of implementing any enterprise software. Most enterprise software consultants fail to recognize the hidden costs in their project plans.

Companies can partially mitigate this problem by implementing structured project controls and governance for their enterprise software.

 

  • It will disrupt their daily work.

Around 50% of ERP and CRM projects cause operational disruption once they are implemented and go live. This makes employees apprehensive of how these solutions will impact their daily work. To counter this fear, CIOs need to highlight how these software tools can simplify their daily work and improve their productivity.

Alternatively, by hiring an enterprise software consultant, CIOs can address the common operational risks associated with any enterprise tool.

 

  • The enterprise software does not address your employee’s concerns.

Most CIOs focus on the “technical” aspect of their enterprise software, and not on the “people” aspect. Effective communication with employees and users is key to a successful ERP or CRM project. Through clear communication, employees can understand:

  • Why their company is adopting this enterprise software?
  • How this tool can benefit the company overall, and their daily work.

Lack of management buy-in and leadership support are among the reasons for low CRM adoption. Additionally, business leaders implement the new system but fail to actively engage their users to use the tool in their daily work.

 

  • The user interface (UI) is not appealing.

A recent Forrester report highlights how “ease of integration and a user-friendly UI are key attributes of an ideal CRM solution.” Poor UI and user experience are among the top three concerns for ERP users. If users do not find the enterprise software “visually appealing” or “easy to navigate,” they are not likely to use the tool.

CIOs must adopt a human-centric design approach when choosing their enterprise software. For instance, evaluate if the users can easily complete their assigned tasks with the enterprise software. Or does the enterprise tool improve the user’s efficiency when compared to other alternatives?

 

  • Employees are not trained properly to use the software.

Insufficient workforce training and education also contribute to the low adoption of enterprise software tools. Without proper training, employees or users simply don’t know how to use the ERP or CRM tool or are not sure of their benefits.

Besides inadequate training, companies do not answer employee queries or provide post-implementation support. Without adequate training and support, employees continue to use error-prone and time-consuming manual processes to complete their work.

 

  • CIOs choose to partner with the wrong ERP or CRM consultant.

Be it for ERP or CRM, employees or users prefer to work closely with industry-experienced and qualified IT consultants. To cut down on their initial implementation costs, CIOs often end up working with the wrong consultant or implementation partner. For instance, many ERP consultants (or companies) may recommend an “out-of-the-box” enterprise system, which is not customized to specific business requirements.

 

How an IT Helpdesk can improve usage of enterprise solutions

With the services of a qualified IT helpdesk, CIOs can improve the adoption and usage of enterprise solutions among employees. The helpdesk is the first point of contact for employees to address their technical or usability issues. To improve usage, helpdesk executives can “handhold” employees and help them navigate and use any ERP or CRM feature.

Here are some of the ways how an IT helpdesk can improve usage among employees or end users:

  • Provide immediate support for employee’s concerns, troubleshoot technical issues, and identify common bugs with the tool.
  • Build a self-service repository for employees in the form of knowledge bases, FAQs, and online forums.
  • Encourage end-users to resolve their usability issues, thus saving both time and resources for the organization.
  • Detects and monitors bugs in the enterprise software tool and reports them to the development team.
  • Guide end-users on how to use new ERP or CRM features along with their benefits.

 

In a Nutshell

To summarize, CIOs cannot fully leverage the benefits of enterprise solutions unless their employees fully embrace and use the solution. With an efficient helpdesk team, they can ensure that every employee or end-user has access to complete support and technical expertise.

At Trinus, we want our customers to maximize their investments in enterprise solutions. Our helpdesk support aims to improve the efficiency and productivity of your enterprise users. If you are interested in knowing how we can help, contact us now.